Tiger Woods withdraws from consideration for Ryder Cup captain's pick

Woods will miss his second matches since turning professional

Tiger Woods will miss his second Ryder Cup as a professional after withdrawing his name for consideration as a captain's pick by Tom Watson.

Woods, who has been hampered by a neck injury all season, was not an automatic qualifier on points for the first time as a pro. He has played in seven Ryder Cups, beginning in 1997 when he was a rookie.

"While I greatly appreciate Tom thinking about me for a possible Captain’s Pick, I must take myself out of consideration,” Woods said in a statement. “I’ve been told by my doctors and trainer that my back muscles need to be rehabilitated and healed. They’ve advised me not to play or practice now. I’m extremely disappointed that I won’t be ready for the competition. The U.S. Team and the Ryder Cup mean too much to me not to be able to give it my best. I’ll be cheering for the U.S. Team. I think we have an outstanding squad going into the matches.”

See more of the story later on jacksonville.com and in Thursday's Times-Union.